Bobbin-retaining mechanism.



W. R. BLAIR.

BOBBIN RETAINiNG MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. I, 1915 1,152,140. Patented Aug. 31, 1915.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM R. BLAIR, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR TO LANDIS MACHINE COMPANY OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, A CORPORATION OF MISSOURI.

BOBBIN-RETAINING MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed February 1, 1915. Serial No. 5,531.

1 '0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, lVILLnu R. BLAIR, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city of St. Louis, State of Missouri, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Bobbin-Retaining Mechanism, of which the following is a full, clear and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

My invention relates to sewing machines, and specifically to the form of sewing machine illustrated and described in U. S. Letters latent No. 743,870 to French and Meyer.

The feature to which my invention is particularly directed is the arrangement for retaining the bobbin-case in the shuttle, and contemplates the provision of a vertically swinging bobbin retaining arm which is adapted to engage the tail of the bobbincase to retain the case in proper position during the movements of the shuttle. I arrange this arm so that it may be withdrawn entirely from in front of the bobbinease to aposition where it will be completely out of the way of the operator in removing and replacing the bobbin case for the purpose of applying tilled bobbins. The retaining arm is provided with convenient manipulating means. and means adapted to retain it in its operative. and inoperative positions.

The principal object of my invention, therefore, is to provide a removable bobbincase retaining means which is adapted to hold the bobbin-ease in proper position, which is easily operable. and which may be withdrawn entirely from in front of the bobbin-case and shuttle to a position where it is completely out of the way of the operator.

Other objects will be hereinafter pointed out or obvious by reference. to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a front view partially insection of a detail of a machine showing the shuttle and bobbin and my improved holding device. Fig. 2 is a top view partly in section showing the same elements.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, in which like reference characters are applied to like parts throughout, it will be understood that 1 represents the shuttle casingLin which is revalubly mounted the shuttle 2. The bobbin-case a is mounted in the shuttle in the usual fashion, and has the 'cnstomary laterally projecting tail 5. The

shuttle actuated in the customary fashion by a suitable driving cam which swings the segment arm (3. the latter cooperating with the pinion 7 which is mounted on'the shaft 8 by which movement is transmitted to the shuttle.

()n a horizontal pivot pin 9 at one side of the shuttle case is pivoted the bobbincase retaining member 10. The retaining member is in the form of a bell crank lever having at the extremity of one of its arms the retaining head 11. and at the extremity of its other arm the operating handle 12. At one side of the retaining member is fixed the locking segment 14, and in cooperative relationship thereto there is formed on the retaining member an offset seat portion 15 in which is a locking pin 16. The inner extremity of the locking pin is shaped to cooperate with suitable notches 17 in the segment 14. The locking pin is actuated by an ordinary hand pawl 18 which is pivoted on the handle portion 12 and urged therefrom by a spring 19. The hand pawl has a nose iortion operated through a slot in the side of the seat portion 15 and seated in a. notch 21 in the locking pin. By virtue of this arrangement, the pressure of spring 19 ends to urge the locking pin toward the segment 14, and retain the inner extremity thereof in mesh with either of the. notches 1T when properly positioned. Cmnpression of the hand pawl 18 withdraws the. locking pin from either of notches 17 in which it may be seated.

In operation. the bobbin case eing properly positioned in the shuttle. the retaining member 10 is swung into position so that the head 11 engages the tail 5 of thc bobbin ,case. The head 11 is formed so as to allow a limited movement of the bobbin tail 3 therein. but operates to maintain the tail of the bobbin case in approximately the same position during movement of the shuttle. \Vhen the retaining member is in this posi" tion, the locking pin 16 is in engagen'ient with the upper slot 17, retaining the member 10 in proper position.

\Vhen it is desired. for any purpose. to remove the bobbin case, the operator eompresses the hand pawl 18, thus withdrawing the locking pin 16, and swings the member 10 on its pivot 9, thus raising head 11 vertically away from the bobbin case to the position illustrated by the dotted lines A in Fig. 1. In this position, the locking pin 16 engages the lower notch 17, holding the device in position where it is entirely out of the way of the operator, giving him immediate and full access to the shuttle for the removal of the bobbin case or other operation.

I am aware that minor changes and modifications may be made in the device without departing from the true spirit and scope of the invention indicated in the :appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a machine of the class described, a member adapted to engage the bobbin case to hold it in operative position, said member being mounted to one side of the shuttle raceway and movable on an axis parallel to the axis of the shuttle for displacement Vertically from in front of the shuttle case,

and manually manipulative locking means for retaining said member in operative and inoperative positions.

2. In a machine of the class described, a bell crank retaining member mounted to one side of the shuttle raceway, said retaining member having one of its arms provided with a portion movable in a plane parallel to the face of the bobbincase and adapted to engage the bobbin case to hold it in operative position, and the other of its arms provided, with manually manipulative means whereby said member may be swung into operative and non-operative positions and secured in such positions.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses, this 29th day of January, 1915.

INILLIAM R. BLAIR. Witnesses:

M. P. SMrrH, C. S. BUTLER. 

